Semiconductor structure and method of forming the same

ABSTRACT

A semiconductor structure and a method of forming the same are provided. In the semiconductor structure, contact spacers are formed at least on sidewalls of contact trenches in the substrate, so that the distance between the gate and the silicide layers disposed only on the bottom surfaces, rather than on the sidewalls and the bottom surfaces, of the contact trenches can be increased, and thus the current leakage induced by gate can be decreased.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of this invention

This disclosure is related to a semiconductor structure, especiallyrelated to a semiconductor structure for preventing current leakageinduced by gate.

2. Description of Related Art

After forming contact openings on source and drain of a MOS FET,silicide layers are often formed on the surface of the source and drainto decrease the contact resistance. However, as the critical dimensionis decreased as the integration is increased, drain leakage current isalso increased to adversely affect the performance of the MOSFET.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of this invention, a semiconductor structure isprovided to decrease the current leakage induced by gate.

The semiconductor structure above comprises a gate structure disposed ona substrate; a source and a drain disposed in the substrate on two sidesof the gate structure; a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate andthe gate structure; two contact openings disposed in the dielectriclayer to respectively expose the source and the drain; two contacttrenches disposed in the source and drain and under the two contactopenings, respectively; two contact spacers respectively coveringsidewalls of the contact trenches for avoiding current leakage inducedby gate; two silicide layers disposed under the bottom surface of thecontact trenches; and two contact plugs filled in the contact trenchesand the contact openings.

In some embodiments of this invention, the contact spacers further coversidewalls of the contact openings.

In some other embodiments of this invention, the material of the contactspacers comprises silicon oxide or silicon nitride

In yet some other embodiments of this invention, the material of thesilicide layers comprises TiSi₂, NiSi₂, or CoSi₂.

According to another aspect of this invention, a method of forming thesemiconductor structure is also provided. First, a gate structure isformed on a substrate, and a source and a drain are then formed in thesubstrate on two sides of the gate structure. A dielectric layer isformed on the substrate and the gate structure. Next, two contactopenings are formed in the dielectric layer to respectively expose thesource and the drain. Subsequently, two contact trenches are formed inthe source and drain and under the two contact openings, respectively.Two contact spacers are formed to respectively cover sidewalls of thecontact trenches for avoiding current leakage induced by gate. Twosilicide layers are formed under the bottom surface of the contacttrenches. Then, two contact plugs are formed to fill the contacttrenches and the contact openings.

In some embodiments of this invention, the contact spacers may be formedby forming contact dielectric layers respectively on surfaces of thecontact trenches by thermal oxidation or thermal nitridation; and thenanisotropically etching the contact dielectric layers to form thecontact spacers on the sidewalls of the contact trenches and expose thesubstrate.

In some other embodiments of this invention, the contact spacers may beformed by forming a contact dielectric layer conformally coveringexposed surfaces of the dielectric layer, the contact openings and thecontact trenches; and then anisotropically etching the contactdielectric layer to form the contact spacers on the sidewalls of thecontact openings and the contact trenches and expose the substrate.

In yet some other embodiments of this invention, a hard mask layer isformed on the dielectric layer between the dielectric layer is formedand the contact openings are formed. The hard mask layer is used as anetching mask when the dielectric layer is etched to form the contactopenings. The hard mask layer is removed between the two contact spacersare formed and the silicide layers are formed.

In light of the foregoing, since the contact spacers are formed at leaston sidewalls of the contact trenches in the substrate, so that thedistance between the gate and the silicide layers below the bottomsurfaces, rather than on the sidewalls and the bottom surfaces, of thecontact trenches can be increased, and thus the current leakage inducedby gate can be decreased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1B and 2A-2B are schematic cross-sectional views showing aprocess of forming a semiconductor structure according to an embodimentof this invention.

FIGS. 1A-1B and 3A-3B are schematic cross-sectional views showing aprocess of forming a semiconductor structure according to anotherembodiment of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1A-1B and 2A-2B are schematic cross-sectional views showing aprocess of forming a semiconductor structure according to an embodimentof this invention. FIGS. 1A-1B and 3A-3B are schematic cross-sectionalviews showing a process of forming a semiconductor structure accordingto another embodiment of this invention.

In FIG. 1A, a gate dielectric layer 102, a gate layer 104 and a gatemask layer 106 are sequentially formed on a substrate 100. Next, thegate dielectric layer 102, the gate layer 104, and the gate mask layer106 are patterned by a patterning process, such as photolithography andetching, to form a gate structure having the gate dielectric layer 102,the gate layer 104 and the gate mask layer 106. In this step, the gatemask layer 106 is used as an etching mask when the gate layer 104 andthe gate dielectric layer 102 are etched. The gate dielectric layer 102may be a silicon oxide layer, or a high-k dielectric layer such as ahafnium oxide layer or a zirconium oxide layer. The gate layer 104 is aconductive layer, such as a doped polysilicon layer or a metal layer(e.g. a tungsten layer). The gate mask layer 106 may be a silicon oxidelayer.

Next, an insulating layer, such as a silicon oxide layer, is conformallyformed on the substrate 100 and the gate structure, and thenanisotropically etched to form gate spacers 108 on sidewalls of the gatestructure. Subsequently, source/drain 110 are formed in the substrate100 on two sides of the gate structure by ion implantation. A dielectriclayer 112 and a hard mask layer 114 are sequentially formed on thesubstrate 100. The dielectric layer 112 may be a silicon oxide layer ora low-k dielectric layer, such as a fluorine-doped silicon oxide layer,a carbon-doped oxide layer (CDO), a porous silicon oxide layer, or aspin-on glass layer. The hard mask layer 114 may be a silicon nitridelayer.

In FIG. 1B, the hard mask layer 114 and the dielectric layer 112 arepatterned, such as photolithography and etching, to form contactopenings 116 a and a gate opening 118 a in the dielectric layer 112.Then, the exposed substrate 100 under the contact

File:83669-US-f openings 116 a and the exposed gate mask layer 106 underthe gate opening 118 a are subsequently over etched to form contacttrenches 116 b in the source/drain 110 in the substrate 100 and a gatetrench 118 b in the gate mask layer 106. In this etching process, thehard mask layer 114 is used as an etching mask.

Next, there are two choices may be made to complete the rest of theprocess of forming the semiconductor structure. The first choice isdepicted in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the second choice is depicted in FIGS. 3Aand 3B.

In FIG. 2A of the first choice, a contact dielectric layer 120 a isconformally formed on the exposed surfaces of the substrate 100, thedielectric layer 112, and the hard mask layer 114. The contactdielectric layer 120 a may be a silicon oxide layer or a silicon nitridelayer, and the method of forming the contact dialectic layer may bechemical vapor deposition (CVD).

In FIG. 2B of the first choice, the contact dielectric layer 120 a isthen anisotropically etched to respectively form contact spacers 122 aon the sidewalls of the contact openings 116 a and the contact trenches116 b to expose the substrate 100, as well as gate contact spacers 124 aon sidewalls of the gate opening 118 a and the gate trench 118 b toexpose the hard mask layer 114. Please note that the exposed sidewall ofthe contact trenches 116 b are covered by the contact spacers 122 a,only the bottom surface of the contact trenches 116 b are not covered bythe contact spacers 122 a to expose the substrate 100.

Then, metal silicide layers 126 are formed on the exposed substrate 100by a salicidation process, which comprises depositing a metal layer andthen performing a thermal process to allow the metal layer react withthe exposed substrate 100 to form the silicide layers 126. The metalsilicide layers may be TiSi₂, NiSi₂, or CoSi₂, for example.

In this step, since contact spacers 122 a cover the sidewalls of thecontact trenches 116 b, the metal silicide layers 126 may be formed onlyon the bottom surface of the contact trenches 116 b, and no metalsilicide can be formed on sidewalls of the contact trenches 116 b.Therefore, the distance between the conductive metal silicide layer s126and the gate layer 104 can be kept at a distance far enough to avoidcurrent leakage induced by the gate layer 104.

Next, the hard mask layer 114 is removed, and a metal layer is depositedto fill the contact openings 116 a, the contact trenches 116 b, the gateopening 118 a and the gate trench 118 b, and then etched back. Thus,contact plugs 128 are formed in the contact openings 116 a and thecontact trenches 116 b, and a gate plug 130 is formed in the gateopening 118 a and the gate trench 118 b. The metal layer may be atungsten layer.

In FIG. 3A of the second choice, a contact dielectric layer 120 b isformed only on the exposed surfaces of the contact trenches 116 b in thesubstrate 100. The contact dielectric layer 120 b may be a silicon oxidelayer or a silicon nitride layer, and may be formed by a thermaloxidation process or a thermal nitridation process.

In FIG. 3B of the second choice, the contact dielectric layer 120 b isthen anisotropically etched to form contact spacers 122 b on thesidewalls of the contact trenches 116 b in the substrate 100 to exposethe substrate 100. Please note that the exposed sidewall of the contacttrenches 116 b are covered by the contact spacers 122 b, only the bottomsurface of the contact trenches 116 b are not covered by the contactspacers 122 b to expose the substrate 100.

Then, metal silicide layers 126 are formed on the exposed substrate 100by a salicidation process, which comprises depositing a metal layer andthen performing a thermal process to allow the metal layer react withthe exposed substrate 100 to form the silicide layers 126. The metalsilicide layers may be TiSi₂, NiSi₂, or CoSi₂, for example.

In this step, since contact spacers 122 b cover the sidewalls of thecontact trenches 116 b, the metal silicide layers 126 may be formed onlyon the bottom surface of the contact trenches 116 b, and no metalsilicide can be formed on sidewalls of the contact trenches 116 b.Therefore, the distance between the conductive metal silicide layer s126and the gate layer 104 can be kept at a distance far enough to avoidcurrent leakage induced by the gate layer 104.

In light of the foregoing, since the contact spacers are formed at leaston sidewalls of the contact trenches in the substrate, so that thedistance between the gate and the silicide layers below the bottomsurfaces, rather than on the sidewalls and the bottom surfaces, of thecontact trenches can be increased, and thus the current leakage inducedby gate can be decreased.

Although implementations of the present invention have been describedabove in detail in combination with the attached drawings, theabove-described implementations could not be interpreted as limitationto the present invention. Various modifications can be made by thoseskilled in the art within their knowledge without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention.

1. A semiconductor structure for avoiding current leakage, comprising: agate structure disposed on a substrate; a source and a drain disposed inthe substrate on two sides of the gate structure; a dielectric layerdisposed on the substrate and the gate structure; two contact openingsdisposed in the dielectric layer to respectively expose the source andthe drain; two contact trenches disposed in the source and drain andunder the two contact openings, respectively; two contact spacersrespectively covering sidewalls of the contact trenches for avoidingcurrent leakage induced by the gate structure; two silicide layersdisposed under the bottom surface of the contact trenches; and twocontact plugs filled in the contact trenches and the contact openings.2. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the contact spacersfurther cover sidewalls of the contact openings.
 3. The semiconductorstructure of claim 1, wherein a material of the contact spacerscomprises silicon oxide or silicon nitride.
 4. The semiconductorstructure of claim 1, wherein a material of the silicide layerscomprises TiSi₂, NiSi₂, or CoSi₂.
 5. The semiconductor structure ofclaim 1, wherein the gate structure comprises: a gate dielectric layeron the substrate; a gate layer on the gate dielectric layer; and a gatemask layer on the gate layer.
 6. The semiconductor structure of claim 5,further comprising gate spacers (108) on the sidewall of the gatestructure.
 7. A method of forming a semiconductor, the methodcomprising: forming a gate structure on a substrate; forming a sourceand a drain in the substrate on two sides of the gate structure; forminga dielectric layer on the substrate and the gate structure; forming twocontact openings in the dielectric layer to respectively expose thesource and the drain; forming two contact trenches in the source anddrain and under the two contact openings, respectively; forming twocontact spacers to respectively cover sidewalls of the contact trenchesfor avoiding current leakage induced by the gate structure; forming twosilicide layers under the bottom surface of the contact trenches; andforming two contact plugs to fill the contact trenches and the contactopenings.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of forming thecontact spacers comprises: forming contact dielectric layersrespectively on surfaces of the contact trenches by thermal oxidation orthermal nitridation; and anisotropically etching the contact dielectriclayers to form the contact spacers on the sidewalls of the contacttrenches and expose the substrate.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein thestep of forming the contact spacers comprises: forming a contactdielectric layer conformally covering exposed surfaces of the dielectriclayer, the contact openings and the contact trenches; andanisotropically etching the contact dielectric layer to form the contactspacers on the sidewalls of the contact openings and the contacttrenches and expose the substrate.
 10. The method of claim 9, whereinthe contact dielectric layer is formed by chemical vapor deposition. 11.The method of claim 9, wherein the contact dielectric layer is a siliconoxide layer or a silicon nitride layer.
 12. The method of claim 7,further comprising forming a hard Customer No.: 31561 Docket No.:83669-US-PA Application No.: 16/358,706 mask layer on the dielectriclayer between the step of forming the dielectric layer and the step offorming the contact openings, wherein the hard mask layer is used as anetching mask.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the hard mask layer isremoved between the step of forming the two contact spacers and the stepof forming the silicide layers.
 14. The method of claim 7, wherein amaterial of the silicide layers comprises TiSi₂, NiSi₂, or CoSi₂. 15.The method of claim 7, wherein the step of forming the gate structurecomprises: forming a gate dielectric layer on the substrate; forming agate layer on the gate dielectric layer; forming a gate mask layer onthe gate layer; and sequentially patterning the gate mask layer, thegate layer and the gate dielectric layer to form the gate structure. 16.The method of claim 15, further comprising forming two gate spacers(108) on sidewalls of the gate structure between the step of forming thegate structure and the step of forming the source and the drain.